You’ll have to wait, at least until after the bowl game, to learn the major award winners from the 2017 season.

Sunday’s banquet was more about celebrating the Old Oaken Bucket victory over Indiana and the program’s first bowl appearance since following the 2012 season. Those were part of the goals when coach Jeff Brohm and his staff took over one year ago, and they were fulfilled in just one season.

“This was a good year for us,” Brohm told the crowd at the Purdue Memorial Union. “One of the things we wanted to make sure of when we took the field, we were a team that played hard.

“It’s something you guys would notice when you watched and it’s something we could take a lot of pride in finding a way to play hard. Because of that, we found a way to win.”

Brohm relied on a hungry group of seniors and a strong defense to reach six wins, doubling the program’s win total from a year ago. Purdue will play Arizona in the Foster Farms Bowl.

“We wanted to win now,” Brohm said. “A lot of teams like to build but it’s important to win now. We’ve got a lot of seniors on this football team that did a tremendous job, they’re outstanding players, they’ve worked extremely hard throughout their careers and we owe it to them to elevate our performance, elevate our coaching ability to help those guys win and go out in winning fashion.”

The awards handed out Sunday:

• Guy “Red” Mackey (presented to one athlete from each sports program who exemplifies overall success): Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley.

“Joe is the all-time leading passer in the history of Purdue football when you look at his completion percentage,” Levine told the crowd. “It’s certainly a tremendous honor for him. He had a great season.”

Quick hitters

• Brohm said after the banquet the full roster of eligible players, including walk-ons, will make the trip to the bowl game. However, players could be left at home if they don’t fulfill their academic requirements. Final exams begin Monday.

Brohm said he won’t know about any academic casualties until “the last minute.”

• All programs can add a 10th assistant, officially starting Jan. 9. Although Brohm said the new addition will likely be a defensive coach, he’ll wait until after the bowl game to start the process.

“I don’t like to move too soon because things could happen here. I’m probably a little slower than others,” he said.

• The Boilermakers practiced for the first time since the end of the regular season Friday and Saturday. Brohm wanted to give the players time off but also the coaching staff was on the road recruiting.

Purdue isn’t expected to use all 15 bowl practices permitted by the NCAA.

“It was just to get back in the flow,” Brohm said of the two workouts. “I wanted to give our guys time off to get as healthy as they can – refresh their mind and body - and really I wanted them hungry when they get back.”

The coaching staff is in the process of putting together the game plan to face the Wildcats. The full game plan is expected to be installed after the coaches return from recruiting.

“We’re all looking at it right now individually, even while we’re on the road recruiting and even this week when we’re on the road,” Brohm said. “By the time we go to the bowl game, everything will be done.”

• Brohm and Purdue athletic department personnel traveled to San Francisco on Sunday to take part in promoting the bowl game. Brohm and Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez will make several media appearances Monday in the Bay Area.

It’s a homecoming for Brohm, who was a backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers during his NFL career.

Levi’s Stadium isn’t the same as Candlestick Park where the 49ers played when Brohm was Steve Young’s backup.

“It was probably three of the most fun years I had playing in the National Football League,” Brohm said one week ago after the bowl announcement was made. “I was with a tremendous team, a team with a lot of history and tradition. They won a lot of Super Bowls. We had some of the best players of all time - Steve Young, Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Brent Jones, Ken Norton, Merton Hanks, all those guys.”